Hebei hopes new lab will help find smog solutions

Hebei will escalate efforts to combat air pollution by joining with Beijing and Tianjin to set up a laboratory so it can release accurate early warnings and find fundamental solutions for smog in the province.

For decades Hebei, which surrounds the country's capital, has played an important role in guaranteeing Beijing's necessities and security. Regarding clean air, however, the province has struggled.

In 2013, residents in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei province, experienced 151 days of air pollution exceeding the hazardous level. All 11 cities of the province counted only 129 days last year during which air quality was considered good, according to a report by the Department of Environmental Protection of Hebei.

In response to the lingering smog, the province has moved in the past year to reduce the emission of air pollutants by shutting down hundreds of high-polluting factories and by reducing outdated capacity in major industries such as steel, coal power and cement production.

In addition to these immediate steps, the province has paid more attention to finding fundamental solutions by turning to science and technology.

Guo Bin, a leading professor in environmental protection research at Hebei University of Science and Technology, said the current lack of systematic and targeted research has failed to give a thorough picture of the smog situation.

Thus, official decisions have not been based on scientific ground, which is why the province has urgent need for a lab, Guo said.

The laboratory, which will bring together experts and advanced technology in environmental protection, will focus on researching the sources of pollutants and the means by which they spread in Hebei.

"We have been preparing for the new laboratory since July," said Yan Yonglu, chief engineer of the province's environmental monitoring center. "Now the preliminary plan has been finished and already passed the first round of expert appraisal."

The lab will probably work at the first stage in 2015, and more monitoring stations of the lab will be set up near Beijing and Tianjin to serve all three areas.

Until now, there are 64 auto monitoring air quality sites working in surrounding areas of Beijing and Shijiazhuang, said Yin Guangping, deputy director of the province's environmental protection authority.

The monitoring results showed the province can give 100 percent accurate early warning of smog in 24 hours before it appears, and the accuracy falls to 70 percent for smog that would appear in 72 hours, Yin said.

The application of remote sensing technology will provide a stronger hand when it comes to joint regional monitoring, Yin said.

Although the final working plan for the province has not been released, Guo has suggested a possible plan.

The lab will need help from experts at top universities, institutes and private companies in the province, Guo said. The construction period will be around three years, and the research will extend for eight to 10 years.